Patching a Basement Floor

So you have decided to get your house in order and need to know how to go about patching a basement floor? Read on and we will whip that floor into shape. Your basement floor is concrete and somehow it has cracked or been impacted and there are broken chunks. Let’s fix that floor and eliminate the tripping hazards.

Don your safety glasses, gloves, dust mask, and kneepads. Now get busy using your awl to scrape and probe the damaged area. A pointed mortar trowel comes in handy here as well. Be sure to take out any loose pieces that you find.

Removing all your loose debris is important. If you simply patched over all the junk, the patch would never have a firm surface to grip onto and your patch would probably would not stand the test of time.

Vacuum First

Now use your shop vacuum to clean up the immediate area and all areas adjacent to it. Scrub the area with a wire brush. This will further assure us that when we apply our patch it will adhere well.

Now cover the area to be patched with a bonding agent. You can use an old paintbrush to spread the bonding agent evenly over the entire affected area. Ensure that the surface is totally covered and that all the tiny pores and holes are completely filled. Sit back and let the adhesive dry for at least an hour.

Concrete Mix

Now it is time to mix up your concrete. Pour some of the dry mix into the mixing tub, use the trowel to create a depression for the water in the center and fold your dry material into the wet mixture with your trowel.

Use large gravel or an aggregate if needed to match the texture that your floor already has. Add more water if needed to reach the desired consistency. If your floor is average it is advantageous to use the Quikrete brand. You can mix it in place, it is self leveling, and it is inexpensive.

Otherwise, Fill the hole with the mixed concrete and pack it in quite tightly by hand. Always wear gloves when working with concrete as the chemicals in the mix may irritate your skin terribly and cause it to peel off

Leveling

Once all of your holes are filled with concrete, level out the surface with a straight board. Start in the center of the concrete patch, and use both hands to work the board across the top of the patch. Use a gentle, sliding motion and work from one side to the other keeping an eye on a smooth and lump free surface.

Once you have gotten all you holes filled in and smoothed off, barricade the area off against traffic. Hurry to clean all your tools before the concrete sets up on them. Then just sit back and wait until the concrete is dry. Your job is done.